Netflix heads to the theater and other streaming stories you missed
Netflix heads to the theater and other streaming stories you missed
The world’s largest streamer is also shutting down two video game studios, Roku launches an AI channel, and more stories from the week’s streaming news.
We’ve made it to Friday once again, dear readers! The weekend is almost here, and hopefully the weather in your neck of the woods cooperates and allows you to enjoy some outdoor time before the cold creeps in over the next few months.
But before we say goodbye to the work week, let’s get you caught up on the streaming stories from the week’s news you may have missed. Read about Netflix making moves in the theatrical and video game spaces, celebrate (or mourn) the rollout of an AI channel from Roku, learn about the eye-popping numbers for the “Ted Lasso” Season 4 debut, and more!
Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Netflix sets 47-day theatrical window for ‘Wonka’ movie
Netflix’s animated “Charlie vs. The Chocolate Factory” will be a trailblazer for the streamer. The movie will arrive on the streaming service on Dec. 22, 2027, but it’s getting a theatrical release first — one of the longest in the streamer’s history.
“Charlie vs. The Chocolate Factory” will roll out in theaters on Nov. 5, 2027 — 47 days before streaming. Netflix’s “Narnia: The Magician's Nephew” movie will play in theaters for nearly 50 days before heading to streaming, and it continues to show that its longstanding resistance to long theatrical stays for its movies is wearing down.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 is Apple TV’s biggest-ever premiere
“Ted Lasso” Season 4 is now streaming on Apple TV, and new data shows just how thrilled fans are to see Coach Lasso again. Per Nielsen, the “Ted Lasso” Season 4 premiere was watched for 296.6 million minutes over the course of Aug. 4 and 5. That makes it the biggest episode launch in the history of the streamer.
On Aug. 5 alone, the debut episode was the most-streamed program in the U.S., amassing more than 200 million viewing minutes. “Ted Lasso” Season 4 now has two episodes available and returned in the United States on Wednesday, Aug. 5, after a three-year hiatus.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Roku adds new generative AI channel
The Roku Channel has experimented with a wide range of content, including original titles that most free streaming services don’t bother allocating resources to. Now, the streamer has dipped its toe in generative AI, launching a channel filled with AI projects from the Colin Petrie-Norris startup Fairground.
The Fairground AI Creator TV channel is filled with short-form clips and episodes in essentially every genre. One review from The Verge says that watching the channel is like “eating from a trough,” but Roku is clearly willing to experiment, at least.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers a broad mix of movies, TV shows, live linear channels, and original programming. Available to all viewers — not just Roku device owners — the service features licensed content from major studios alongside Roku Originals, which include exclusive series, movies, and specials previously produced for Quibi, as well as new original projects developed specifically for the platform.
Netflix shutting down two video game studios
For years, Netflix has tried to increase engagement with its platform through the offering of mobile games. The streamer is winding those efforts down, however, moving to close two game studios.
Night School Studios and Moonloot Games — both studios acquired by Netflix in recent years — are being shut down by the streamer. Night School was the developer of the supernatural thriller game “Oxenfree,” and launched a sequel on Netflix in 2023. Netflix has struggled to attract users to its games for years, and has now opted to focus its engagement-boosting efforts elsewhere.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
Disney+ lands Formula E races
On Tuesday, Disney+ announced that it was partnering with the electric car racing league Formula E. All Formula E races will stream on Disney+ and ESPN+ in the United States starting in the 2026-27 season, with Disney+ offering races in most international markets as well.
The season will feature 21 rounds across 13 events, and it will kick off on Dec. 18. Previously, Formula E partnered with The Roku Channel and CBS Sports to distribute races in the U.S.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
Announcements, castings, and trailer premieres
Live-action ‘Power Rangers’ series dead at Disney+
As first reported by Deadline on Thursday, a live-action “Power Rangers” series in development at Disney+ is not moving forward. Per the report, the reason is more business-related than creative, as the economics around a superhero-style show like “Power Rangers” aren’t favorable when the studio doesn’t own the IP. Hasbro continues to own the Power Rangers brand, and fans will have to wait a while longer to see it adapted once again.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
Alfonso Cuarón partners with Apple TV on new series ‘Ascension’
On Monday, Apple TV announced that it had greenlit “Ascension,” a new drama series from Oscar-winner Alfonso Cuarón. The series is inspired by Adam Nevill’s novel “Last Days” and will follow a documentary filmmaker who finds unexpected refuge in the teachings of a cult called the Church of Ascension — until she discovers the insidious secrets beneath the surface.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Emilia Jones cast in ‘The Retrievals’ for Netflix
Deadline revealed on Thursday that Emilia Jones (“Bad Bridgets”) has been cast in “The Retrievals,” the new Netflix series inspired by the award-winning podcast by Susan Burton. It follows a group of IVF patients who band together against Yale University after they are operated on without anesthesia.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”